December 23, 2004

And just like that, the beginning of the Room on the Third Floor, or as the boys started calling it, The ROTTF tour, was off for holiday break.

The boys were extremely excited, probably because they could smoke without Fletch down their backs.

However, there was one boy who was particularly excited for Christmas.

Tom.

I don't know what is wrong with him, but I've never seen a human so excited for anything ever.

It was all great that the boys were happy, but I hated Christmas. To me, it's just another day. Nothing can be a celebration if you have no one to celebrate it with.

Fletch had me call all the boys in for one more practice before they get off for break, and it also happened to be Harry's 19th birthday.

When I got to the studio, Tom was already there, per usual, tuning his guitar.

"Hey Lilly." Tom smiles.

"Hey." I say putting my things down.

"I can't hold it in anymore!" He yells, quickly taking his guitar off him and running to me.

"Wha-"

"Please, please, please don't make us play today, please Lilly, if you have decent bone in your body, please-"

"Woah, woah, woah." I say. This isn't like Tom. I would expect this kind of thing from Danny or Harry, not Tom. "Tom, what are you talking about?" I ask.

"I'm too excited for Christmas, Lilly. Aren't you excited?" He whines. I turn from him, placing Harry's birthday gift on the table.

"Yeah." I lie. He looks at me.

"You don't sound like you-"

"What are you doing for Christmas, Tom?" I change the subject.

"Well, tomorrow the lads and I are going to see our families so that we can spend Christmas day together in the band house." He smiles. "What about you?"

"Just going home to Bolton." I lie.

"Cool!" He cries. "When are you leaving?"

"Tonight. After rehearsal." I say. Rehearsal ends at nine...are there trains back to Bolton at nine? Not that it matters, I'm not actually going back to Bolton. Just then, Harry walks in.

"Harry! Happy birthday!" I say, running over to give him his gift, which is wrapped in a bag.

"Thanks Lilly!" Harry says, hugging me, before getting ready for rehearsal. "What are you doing over bre-" Just then, Dougie walks in, saving me.

"Dougie!" I smile, running over to him, so that no one brings up the Christmas subject again. "How are you?" I ask giving him a hug. When I pull away, he looks at me awkwardly.

"Lilly, are you feeling okay?" Harry asks. "You seem extra chipper."

"I am!" I say.

"You didn't seem so happy-" Tom begins.

"It's Harry's birthday, we're going on break!" I smile, walking over to Harry and hugging him again.

"Yeah. And now that I'm 19 I'm pretty close behind you so maybe we could-"

"Save it, Judd." I say, covering his mouth.

"Well, since Danny isn't here yet, maybe we could talk about Christmas until he gets here." Tom suggests. All the boys put down what they're doing and crowd around me.

"Happy birthday, by the way, mate." Dougie says, turning to Harry.

"Cheers Doug." Harry says and Tom smiles and nods.

"We don't need to talk, guys. Fletch wants you to practice." I say.

"Fletch also doesn't want us to do drugs, but we do." Harry says.

"Come on. We're starting tour back up right after a two week break with no practice. This is important!" I say to them.

"It seems like you don't want to talk about break, Lilly." Tom says.

"What? Why would you think I wouldn't want break. A paid rest for two weeks? Sounds like heaven to me." I say.

But in reality, Tom was right. I didn't want the break. Being apart of this experience with the boys gave me my first friends. Now I was going to have to spend two weeks alone. On Christmas, no less.

I wish this practice would never end.

"Hey sorry I'm late." I hear Danny say, and I push past Dougie, Tom and Danny to see him. I give him an awkward side hug.

"Danny! How are you mate?" I ask him.

"Uhhh..."

"Great!" I say, "You can start practicing now!"

*********************************************************

After three hours, or what feels like ten minutes to me, the rehearsal is over, and I cling to the last few minutes I have with the boys as they pack up to leave.

I hug them all before they leave, and wish them a Merry Christmas, and Harry another happy birthday.

Dougie is the last one to leave, being slow to pack up his things.

"Bye Dougie." I smile as he gathers all his things.

"Are you going to leave, Lilly?" He asks.

"Yes, of course I just...have to do some work before I go." I say. He nods.

"Happy holidays." He says, walking towards the studio doors.

"You too." I say weakly. I thought he had left when I hear:

"Lilly?"

I turn, and see Dougie still standing in the doorway.

"Yes, Dougie?" I say.

"Why...why don't you want to go on break?" He asks. "Why don't you want Christmas to come?" I sigh. I'm not going to lie to Dougie.

"How do you know? You know, that I don't want Christmas to come?" I ask.

"Because I have not wanted Christmas to come too. I know what it looks like." He says.

"Why didn't you want Christmas to come? I ask him.

"Long story." He replies. I nod. "Why don't you want Christmas to come?"

"Long story." I reply. He nods as well.

"Tom told me you're going home tomorrow. You should go. You'll have to get up early to make your train." I say. He nods. "Bye Dougie." I wave from across the room.

"By Lilly." He says, and then he leaves.

I know there is a computer around here, I should check my emails, since I haven't had time to much since we've been on tour. Fletch told me that he most likely won't email me this week, so it's good to check before I go.

I only have three emails in my inbox from Fletch, and I check them, all unimportant things. I delete them, and begin to search the web to read local news. Before long, I see an add for a new years gig in London that needs acts. I could try and get the boys in. I email the person in charge.

To: [email protected]

From: [email protected]

Dear London Palladium Staff Members,

My name is Lilly and I am a manager for the band McFly. Over the summer their album "Room on the Third Floor" went to number one, and they are currently booked for a 15 show sold out tour. I was wondering if you still have available spots in your new years bash, if they could perform. Thank you for you time.

Lilly Greene

I've never wrote a professional email before. I wonder if they'll even get back to me about it, or if the boys will even want to play. Maybe this was a bad-

"Lilly?" I hear. I turn to see Tom standing in the doorway. I stand up, and realize the room that was once lit by the natural sunlight is now dark, only lit by the light of the computer screen.

"Tom? What are you doing here?" I ask.

"I forgot my box of picks." He says, walking over to the table and picking up a small box. "What are you doing here?" He asks.

"I guess I just lost track of time and-"

"Wait...aren't you supposed to be headed to Bolton?" He asks.

"Yeah. My train doesn't leave until midnight." I excuse myself.

"It's one in the morning." He says.

"Wha-" I turn to the clock. "Shouldn't this place be closed?" I ask.

"Studios never close. Many musicians get their best ideas in the middle of the night." He says.

"Why did you come for picks at one in the morning?" I ask.

"Because Danny let me borrow one of his Bruce Springsteen picks and I knew if someone took it he would kill me." He says.

"Oh." I say. "Well I'll go now-"

"Wait, you missed your train home to Bolton." He says. "Do you want to use my car or-"

"No, that's okay thank you Tom. I'll just get another train tomorrow." I say.

"There's no way you're getting a train on Christmas eve eve." He says.

"Well I-"

"I can drive you." He says.

"That's okay, Tom." I say, still packing frantically.

"Lilly, you shouldn't spend Christmas traveling, you should be with your family and-"

"I said I'm okay Tom." My voice cracks as he looks at me. "I'm...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you." I say.

"Lilly...are you okay?" Tom says, in almost a whisper. I turn to him.

"I...I don't live in Bolton, Tom." I say.

"What? You're not from Bolton?"

"No, I am from Bolton, I just don't live there." I say.

"Then why did you tell me you lived there? It's no big deal your family's in London." He says.

"My family doesn't live in London, Tom. I...I don't spend Christmas with my family." I say.

"What?" He asks. "Why?"

"I don't really want to talk about it." I say.

"Well...who do you spend Christmas with?" He asks.

"No one." I shrug.

"No...no one?" He asks. I nod. He stays silent for a minute.

"Spend Christmas with us." He finally says.

"What?" I ask him.

"Spend it with us!" He smiles." We've got an extra bedroom, no one's ever used it, and we've got a ton of room and-"

"Tom, I can't stay in the band house." I say.

"Sure you can! None of us are leaving till morning and we'll all be back by midnight."

"Tom I-"

"You can't spend Christmas alone, Lilly. I won't let you." He says.

"Christmas...in the band house?" I ask.

"Please, Lilly?" He asks.

"But all my stuff. I have no clothes it's at my apartment and-"

"We'll stop by!" He says. "We're both wide awake."

"I- well..." Not spending Christmas alone...it sounds amazing but...What would Fletch say?

"But Fletch."

"Fletch is at home in Bournemouth. We won't see him until after new years." He says. "Please Lilly?"

And before I know it, I've already gotten clothes from my apartment, and I'm in Tom's blue mini cooper, on my way to the band house for Christmas. 

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